Unorthodox Medical Treatment
by RedSharkBait
Summary: Even hard-nosed, stubborn, not-to-be-trifled-with Bajorans need hugs sometimes. My first DS9 fanfic, be nice!


_Be gentle, this is my first DS9 fanfic. Keep in mind I've only watched Season 1 and tell me what you think! I like the idea of Kira and Bashir being friends...I didn't go so far as to 'ship them, so if that pairing bothers you, don't worry. Just friendship here.  
_

Kira Nerys was angry. Anyone could tell – it certainly didn't take _any_ of Julian's advanced psychological training to see what the Major was feeling. Bajorans in general tended to "wear their heart on their sleeve", so to speak, but at times it seemed as if Kira wore _her_ heart on an enormous flashing billboard. Oh, she was angry all right. She was also bleeding profusely as Odo ushered her into the infirmary.

"Major! What happened?" Julian sat up and rushed to his new patient's side.

"An angry Klingon, that's what happened." Odo answered for her.

"He stabbed me!" Kira vented angrily, clutching her shoulder.

"Sit down." Julian instructed calmly, guiding her to a biobed. She sat and grit her teeth, glaring at nobody in particular. "Let me see it." He gently moved her hand away from the injury and examined it. It was deep and obviously hurt quite a bit, but all things considered, it wasn't that serious.

"If you'll excuse me, Major, I have a Klingon to question." Odo said gruffly.

"Go ahead, Odo." Kira nodded, wincing as Julian gently touched her wound.

"Sorry…" Julian apologized.

"Doctor." Odo nodded goodbye and left.

"Angry Klingons, was it?" Julian tried to be conversational.

"Just one, actually. He objected when Quark asked him to leave the bar. I happened to be there, so…"

"You jumped into the fray heroically?" Julian half joked as he prepared a hypospray a painkiller.

"Something like that." Kira smiled. Julian smiled back.

"This will help with the pain." He pressed it to her arm just above the knife wound. "Now the tissue regenerator…" he stepped away to get the device.

"It feels better already." Kira marveled.

"It is very fast-acting." Julian responded, turning towards her. "So…if you don't mind my asking, how is…Mullibok?" He enquired about the stubborn old Bajoran he'd treated for a phaser blast some weeks ago.

"Angry, stubborn, and hard to get along with. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was merely curious how he's settling in on Bajor." Julian applied the tissue regenerator to her arm, effectively sealing the wound.

"He says he'll never talk to me again, but he's alright."

"I'm sure he'll come around."

"I don't know, Doctor. He's the most stubborn man I've ever met."

_Reminds me of somebody I know_, Julian mused. "Please, call me Julian."

"If you insist." Kira raised her eyebrows.

"All done, good as new." He turned the tool off. "It may be sore for a day or two, let me know if you need any more painkillers."

"Thank you, Doctor. Julian." She corrected herself and stood.

"Is there anything else you need, Major?"

"I…" she seemed hesitant. "No, there's nothing else. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome."

She nodded and turned to go.

"Oh, and Major?"

"Yes?" She turned back.

"Believe it or not, I'm the closest thing this place has to a ship's counselor. If you ever need to talk…" He made a friendly, implicit offer, but within he felt that he was the last person she would ever confide in. _It's the thought that counts, though, isn't it?_

"Thank you, Julian." She wasn't unfriendly, but not exactly welcoming of his attention, either. He gave what he hoped was a comforting smile and watched her leave.

"All alone in sickbay, again." He complained softly once the doors had closed behind her, sighing with boredom. He'd wished Kira would stay – at least then he'd have somebody to talk to. _Perhaps you're the one who needs to talk, Julian._ He sighed again and collapsed into his chair. In a couple of hours, he'd go to Quark's, get something to eat, and hopefully find somebody to talk to. Ideally, it would be a certain tall, gorgeous Trill – but he'd settle for _Quark_. Or even Morn. Anything was preferable to boredom.

******

Julian sighed for the umpteenth time and sat on the couch in his quarters. He had gone to Quark's, and he was no longer hungry, but he was still very bored. He'd half-heartedly flirted with Jadzia, but found his thoughts inexplicably wandering away from the object of his affection and towards somebody entirely different. In fact, she was as close to being the exact opposite of Jadzia as one could get without being male. He'd tried talking to her earlier, but she had brushed him off. At least when he flirted with Dax, she talked to him. Granted, she rejected him at every turn, but she was conversational about it. Kira seemed downright hostile at times. _Well, she has a right to be. In her mind, Starfleet has no more place here than the Cardassians._ True, she had been warming to Starfleet's presence lately, but it seemed she would not soon accept them completely. As a member of Starfleet, was he still an outsider to her?

A sudden chime at his door interrupted his musings. "Come in." He invited, excited at the prospect of someone to talk to.

"Are you busy, Doctor?" It was Kira, of all people. _Speak of the devil,_ he thought.

"Not at all, Major. What can I do for you?" He questioned.

"I…I wondered if you…" she seemed to struggle for the words, something he'd never seen her do or even imagined.

"If my offer to talk was still open?"

"Yes."

"Of course. Sit down, Major, what's on your mind?"

"It's Mullibok. I still don't know if I made the right choice. I know I saved his life, but I forced it on him."

"Perhaps you did. But why?"

"Why?"

"Why didn't you let him die?"

"Because it was in my power to save him."

"Is that really the only reason? Because you could?"

"No…" she admitted. "He didn't need to die. It would be so…pointless. All his hard work escaping the Cardassians, and his own people would be the ones that killed him."

"Do you really think he faults you for valuing the life of your friends? From what I saw, he really was stubborn and hard to get along with, but he wasn't resentful. I'd say he just needs time to come to appreciate what you did for him."

"I hope so, Julian. I hope so."

"So do I."

"Thank you so much, Julian. I really should be going now…I have to get some rest."

"Of course. As a medical professional, I understand better than anyone what a good night's sleep can do for you." She smiled at that, and stood to leave. He stood and walked towards the door with her. Suddenly, he had an idea. There was one more thing he could do for her.

"Major?" He stopped.

"Yes?" She stopped as well and looked expectantly at him.

"Do…do you want a hug?" He said innocently.

"A hug?" She seemed skeptical, almost incredulous.

"Yes, they can be quite therapeutic."

"That's your opinion as a…medical professional?" She smirked and stepped closer to him.

"Yes. It would be a purely medical exercise."

"Sounds a little unorthodox, if you ask me."

"I am asking you. Would you like a hug?"

"No friendship attached, just out of concern for the patient." She quipped.

"I didn't say _that._"

"You implied it."

"Well, I take it back."

"Alright then." She smiled and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Kira leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"He'll be alright, Kira." He said consolingly.

"Hmm." She shifted her head slightly to whisper in his ear. "Julian?"

"Yes?"

"That's my surname. I think you can call me Nerys when you're giving me a hug."

"Of course. It's alright, Nerys."

Nerys smiled and squeezed her friend a little harder, reluctantly pulling away after a moment. "Thank you, Doctor. That was very 'therapeutic.'"

"Anytime, Major." Now they were back to ranks and titles. It seemed to be a step backwards, but Julian didn't mind. It didn't take any of his advanced psychological training to tell when she was angry, and it didn't take any to tell when she was happy. He'd done his job as a physician – he'd made her feel better, physically and emotionally. He'd also done his job as a friend.

"Goodnight, Julian." She said upon exiting.

"Goodnight." He replied as the door closed. "Goodnight, Nerys."

_What do you think? Please please please review, I need to know how I did on my first DS9 fic. Maybe I'll write more, if anyone likes it! I didn't 'ship Kira and Bashir here, but I might in the future. Just wait and see.  
_

_-RedSharkBait  
_


End file.
